Nonwoven melamine fiber surface preparation and cleaning material

ABSTRACT

Provided is a nonwoven surface preparation or cleaning material comprising melamine fibers and a process for preparing the material. The nonwoven material, in one embodiment, comprises from 20 to 100% by weight melamine fibers. Other synthetic and natural fibers can be used in conjunction with the melamine fibers. However, it is the melamine fibers which are important, and the actual amount can be varied based on the nature of the surface to be cleaned, cleaning difficulty and material cost.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser.No. 61/755,201, filed Jan. 22, 2013 and 61/889,803, filed Oct. 11, 2013,which applications are incorporated herein by reference. To the extentappropriate, a claim of priority is made to each of the above disclosedapplications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to nonwoven surface preparation andcleaning materials. More specifically, the present invention relates tononwoven surface preparation and cleaning materials comprising melaminefibers.

2. Related Art

Nonwoven cleaning pads are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No.1,852,114 discloses a renewable surface dust cloth that is composed of aplurality of thin, fibrous, loosely compacted layers.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,152,929 describes cleaning a surface by rubbing thesurface with a non-abrasive fabric comprised of a multitude of nonwovenpolyester fibers which are bound together in the form of a sheet with abinder. The binder consists of an ethylene-vinyl chloride copolymer. Thenonwoven polyester fibers have a diameter which is within the range offrom 10 micrometers to about 50 micrometers. The polyester fibers can bepolyethylene terephthalate fibers or polyethylene naphthalate fibers.

The use of lofty, fibrous, nonwoven abrasive products for scouringsurfaces such as the soiled surfaces of pots and pans is also wellknown. These products are typically lofty, nonwoven, open mats formed offibers which are bonded together at points where they intersect andcontact each other.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,962 describes a flexible and resilient, fibroussurface treating article comprising an open, lofty, nonwoven fibrous webformed of entangled fibers bonded together at points where they contactone another by a binder. The binder generally comprises a copolymer ofan acrylate monomer and an acrylamide monomer, a crosslinked reactionproduct of a polyol and a melamine crosslinking-agent, and a reactionproduct of a urea derivation and formaldehyde.

Low-density abrasive products can be formed of randomly dispersed staplefibers which are bonded together at points of contact with a binder thatcontains abrasive particles. The staple fibers typically have beencrimped and are laid down by equipment such as a “Rando Webber”web-forming machine (marketed by the Curlator Corporation of Rochester,N.Y. and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,541,915; 2,700,188; 2,703,441 and2,744,294) to form a lofty open mat. One very successful commercialembodiment of such an abrasive product is that sold under the tradedesignation “Scotch-Brite” by the 3M Company of St. Paul, Minn.Low-density abrasive products of this type can be prepared by the methoddisclosed by Hoover et al in U.S. Pat. No. 2,958,593.

The low-density abrasive products described above may also be formed ofwebs or mats of continuous fibers. For example, in U.S. Pat. No.4,227,350, Fitzer discloses a low-density abrasive product comprising auniform cross-section, generally flat-surfaced, open, porous, lofty webof autogenously bonded, continuous, undulated, interengaged filaments.The web of Fitzer is formed by downwardly extruding a plurality ofthermoplastic organic filaments into a quench bath. As the filamentsenter the quench bath, they begin to coil and undulate, thereby settingup a degree of resistance to the flow of the molten filaments, causingthe molten filaments to oscillate just above the bath surface. Thespacing of the extrusion openings from which the filaments are formed issuch that, as the molten filaments coil and undulate at the bathsurface, adjacent filaments touch one another. The coiling andundulating filaments are still sufficiently tacky as this occurs, and,where the filaments touch, most adhere to one another to causeautogenous bonding to produce a lofty, open, porous, handleable filamentweb. The web, so formed, is then impregnated with a tough binder resinwhich adherently bonds the filaments of the web together and also bondsa multitude of abrasive granules, uniformly dispersed throughout theweb, to the surface of the filaments.

Additionally, fibrous polishing and/or abrading materials can beprepared from continuous or substantially continuous synthetic filamentsby the method disclosed by Zimmer et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,582. Inthis method crimped or curled continuous filaments are straightened outunder tension into a substantially parallel relationship with oneanother, uniformly coated while under tension, with an adhesive whichmay or may not contain abrasive particles, interlocked one with anotherby release of such tension and then set in a permanently interlocked andlofty, open, three-dimensional state by curing or setting up theadhesive.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,596 describes a low-density nonwoven abrasive padfor scouring surfaces. The pad is comprised of a multiplicity ofcontinuous, crimped thermoplastic organic filaments. The pad is made byarranging the filaments into an open lofty array, bonding substantiallyall of the filaments together at a first and second bond site, and thencutting the array at the bond sites such that each bond is divided intoat least two bond area segments with each bond area segment having thefilament array bonded therein in a unitary structure.

Another type of cleaner is a foam-like material consisting of aformaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer known as melamine foam.It is a component of the commercial Magic Eraser® cleaning product. Theopen cell foam is microporous and its polymer substance is very hard, sothat when used for cleaning it works like extremely fine sandpaper,getting into tiny grooves and pits in the object being cleaned. On alarger scale, the material feels soft. However, if the surface beingcleaned is not sufficiently hard, it may be finely scratched by themelamine material. The foam wears away, rather like a pencil eraser,leaving behind a slight residue.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Provided is a nonwoven surface preparation or cleaning material, e.g., afloor buffing pad, polishing pad or a wipe, comprising melamine fibers.The nonwoven surface preparation or cleaning material, in oneembodiment, comprises from 20 to 100% by weight melamine fibers. Othersynthetic and natural fibers can be used in conjunction with themelamine fibers. However, it is the melamine fibers which are important,and the actual amount can be varied based on the nature of the surfaceto be cleaned, the cleaning difficulty expected, and the material cost.

In one embodiment, there is provided a method for preparing the nonwovencleaning material. The process comprises the steps of carding melaminefibers with a carding machine and then hydroentangling the cardedmelamine fibers. The carding machine is a particular carding machinethat has no main roll cylinder, only a number of smaller cylinders. Thistype of carding machine reduces breakage of the melamine fibers andresults in a much better cleaning material. In another embodiment, themethod for preparing the nonwoven material comprises carding and thenneedlepunching a web comprising melamine fibers. In another embodiment,the method for preparing the nonwoven material comprises wetlaying themelamine fibers, generally in combination with other fibers.

Among other factors, the present invention is based upon the recognitionthat melamine fibers can be successfully used in a surface preparationor cleaning material, such as a pad or wipe, with excellent results. Thematerial can be effectively and efficiently made using a number ofmethods, such as a spunlace nonwoven process or a needlepunch process.The cleaning material need only be wet with water to provide aneffective cleaner of dirt, soap scum, etc. No other cleaning chemicalsare required, but can be used as desired. The cleaning material can befree of surfactants, cleaning detergents and binders. Such melaminefiber cleaning materials are significantly lower in cleaning cost, peruse and are even more durable than melamine foam block cleaners.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE OF THE DRAWING

The FIGURE of the drawing illustrates a card configuration for cardingmelamine fibers in the preparation of a nonwoven melamine fiber cleaningmaterial in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a cleaning or surface preparation substratecontaining melamine fibers combined with other fibers in a spunlaceneedlepunch or wet laid nonwoven process. Fibrous melamine is wellsuited for use in a wide variety of surface preparation, scrubbing,cleaning and wiping applications including household, janitorial, foodservice, industrial, medical, dental, automotive, flooring or any otherend uses where a pliable and effective removal or cleaning substrate isneeded. While this substrate can be produced from a variety of fabricformations including airlaid, wetlaid, stitch bond, melt blown andothers, a preferred needlepunch nonwoven configuration comprisesmelamine fibers blended with fibers like viscose rayon, Tencel®,polyester, nylon, wood pulp, polypropylene, bicomponents and others.

Melamine is an organic base and a trimer of cyanamide, with a1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Melamine fiber is a manufactured fiber in whichthe fiber-forming substance is a synthetic polymer composed of at least50% by weight of a cross-linked melamine polymer. Melamine fibers arecommercially available from Basofil® of North Carolina. Melamine fiberis a heat resistant fiber based on melamine chemistry, with a 400° F.(200° C.) continuous operating temperature. Typical fiber lengths are inthe 5-100 mm range and the average diameter is about 15 μm. For aspunlace or needlepunch nonwoven configuration, the fiber length isgenerally in the 25-100 mm range, most commonly around 50 mm. Fiberlengths can be supplied in the range of from 5-25 mm average length,which are more suitable for wetlaid and airlaid processing.

The present invention relates to a cleaning material or substratecontaining melamine fibers. Generally, the cleaning material comprisesfrom 20-100 wt % melamine fibers, e.g., from 20 to 80 wt % melaminefibers. In one embodiment, the cleaning material comprises from 30-70 wt% melamine fibers, e.g., from 40 to 60 wt % melamine fibers. Themelamine fibers can be combined with other fibers. The other fibers caninclude rayon, Tencel®, bicomponent, polyesters, woodpulp, polyolefinssuch as polypropylene, cotton, jute, bamboo or nylon fibers. In oneembodiment, the cleaning material comprises 50 wt % melamine fibers and50 wt % polyester fibers. In another embodiment, the cleaning materialcomprises 50 wt % melamine fibers, 30 wt % viscose fibers and 20 wt %polyester fibers. In another embodiment, the cleaning material comprises20 wt % melamine fibers, 30 wt % weight viscose fibers and 50% by weightpolyester fibers. In another embodiment, the cleaning material comprises65 wt % melamine fibers and 35 wt % cellulose (e.g., viscose fiber,etc.). In another embodiment, the cleaning material comprise 65 wt %melamine fiber, 25 wt % cellulose (e.g., viscose fiber, etc.) and 10 wt% polyester fiber.

In one embodiment, the outer surface of the cleaning material has avisual texture or pattern that may provide an aesthetic and/orfunctional benefit for a user. One functional benefit that may beprovided by the pattern is to improve surface preparation or thecleaning efficacy of the material. Examples of suitable visual patternsinclude, but are not limited to, dots, dashes, wavy lines andherringbone lines.

The basis weight of the nonwoven cleaning material, e.g., pad or wipe,is generally in the range of about 20-1200 g/square meter. This issuitable for spunlace, airlaid, needlepunch, wetlaid or other fabricformation technologies. In one embodiment, the nonwoven material has abasis weight in the range of from 40-150 g/square meter, e.g.,40-110g/square meter, which is quite suitable for spunlace and wetlaidconfigurations. In another embodiment, the nonwoven material has a basisweight in the range from 70-1200 g/square meter, or 300-600 g/squaremeter, or 800-1200 g/square meter, which basis weights are quitesuitable for needlepunched configurations.

Melamine fibers are the critical ingredient that delivers unique surfacepreparation or cleaning properties. Prior to use, the invention needsonly to be wet with water to provide an effective cleaner of dirt, soapscum, rust, baked on food, and other soils from surfaces like glass,tile, metal, wood, vinyl, etc. No other cleaning chemicals are requiredbut may be combined with the invention cleaning material to furtherenhance cleaning of certain surfaces. Many conventional “wet” wipes arepre-moistened with surfactants and detergents to enhance cleaning “Dry”wipes are often used in conjunction with a chemical cleaner at the pointof application. The invention can eliminate the need and cost of theaqueous cleaning chemicals, their packaging and transportation. However,they can also utilize such added chemicals if desired.

Melamine fiber substrates are also significantly lower in cleaningcost/use and are more durable than melamine foam block cleaners.Therefore, the invention can save money at initial purchase and over theuseful cleaning life of the product.

While melamine has been blended with rayon, wood pulp, bicomponents andpolyesters to date, melamine fiber may also be blended with varioussynthetic and cellulosic fibers like: polypropylene, cotton, jute,bamboo, nylons and others to enhance absorbency, resiliency, compressionresistance, thickness, softness, toughness, strength, abrasionresistance and other properties. The critical melamine fiber componenthas shown good cleaning and surface enhancement properties with aslittle as 20% by weight of the blend. Samples can be made with up to80%, and even 100% melamine fibers. Outside active layers comprising100% melamine fibers have been successful in layered materials.

Among the polyolefins, polyethylene and polypropylene fibers are quitesuitable. Among the polyesters, polyethylene terephthalate (PET),polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and/or polypropylene terephthalate(PPT) are quite suitable.

A spunlace nonwoven configuration is one preferred for the cleaningmaterial. The spunlace nonwoven configuration is of particularapplicability to a wipe cleaning material. The method of preparing thespunlace nonwoven involves carding the melamine fibers with a cardingmachine, followed by hydroentangling the fiber.

Since carding melamine fibers can be quite difficult at normalproduction rates, a process for producing a lightweight, nonwoven webcontaining a high percentage of melamine fibers is used. This processrequires a specific carding configuration whereby no main cardingcylinder is used. This process reduces melamine fiber breakage asdemonstrated by the retention of the average fiber length even when 50%melamine is used in the blend.

What is provided is a process for producing a web containing high %levels of a melamine fiber (e.g., from Basofil®) and a broad range ofproducts that can be produced from such materials. The product made frommelamine fibers has some unique properties related to surfacepreparation, cleaning and wiping, however the fiber production processproduces a fiber which can be very difficult to process throughconventional means. Described below is one manner in which ahydroentangled version of this product can be produced, and exemplaryproduct formulations.

Melamine fiber through its production process has a wide range of fiberlength and can be quite brittle, consequently the fiber can be verydifficult to process. Accordingly the conditions under which such afiber can be carded and hydroentangled at high speeds are consequentlyquite unique. Products were produced using a very specific cardarrangement (see FIG. 1) whereby no main carding cylinder is utilized.

An example of such a card machine is the Erko EWK 413. This cardconfiguration allows for a limited reduction in the fiber length of themelamine fiber, with a before carding average fiber length of about 41mm and an after carding average fiber length of about 38 mm for a 50%melamine fiber material.

This card type has no main roll cylinder, instead it has a number ofsmall cylinders. Consequently, there are significantly less worker andstripper rolls used and there is much less working of the fibers to openthem. This dramatically reduces breakage of the melamine fiber. The rollspeeds are lower on this card configuration once again leading to lessdamage of the melamine fiber, but also to less flying fibers in the cardas a whole. The clearances between rolls are generally wider on thiscard configuration. The wire clothing used is the same as that used oncotton cards which means the teeth are much less aggressive againmeaning less breakage of the relatively brittle melamine fiber.

In one example, the carding and hydroentangling of the melamine fiberwas carried out with the following basic formulations:

50% melamine—30% Viscose—20% PET at a basis weight of 50 gsm and 100 gsm

20% melamine—30% Viscose—50% PET at a basis weight of 50 gsm and 100 gsm

The hydroentangling conditions involved waterjet hydroentangling. Thefinished product properties for these webs are provided below.

BW MD TS BW BLEND STRUCTURE (g/m²) (N.5 cm) 50 50% Melamine/30% Big Dot53.4 58.45 VIS/20% PET 100 50% Melamine/30% Big Dot 108.5 138.6 VIS/20%PET 50 20% Melamine/30% Big Dot 51 60.8 VIS/50% PET 100 20% Melamine/30%Big Dot 106 143.3 VIS/50% PET

MD Elong MD TS MD Elong CD TS CD Elong CD TS CD Elong Thickness @Max (%)(N.5 cm) @Max (%) (N.5 cm) @Max (%) (N.5 cm) @Max (%) @ 0.5 kPaAbsorption DRY WET DRY WET (mm) Capacity (%) 25..7 46.95 33.42 15.93106.8 16.59 107 0.9 1347 33.19 110.2 38.26 28.44 96.06 29.13 97.57 1.451100 43.64 54.64 47.87 20.79 122.2 19.06 119.9 1.01 1535 36.41 132.441.55 32.08 113.7 34.75 108 1.45 1100

In another example, the following spunlace nonwoven samples wereprepared using the carding and hydroentangling method described above.

Spunlace Nonwoven Samples Basis % Hydro Sample Weight Mela- % %entangling No. (GSM) mine Rayon Polyester pressure Pattern 1 40 50 50Standard Smooth 2 50 50 30 20 Standard Big dot 3 100 50 30 20 StandardBig dot 4 50 20 30 50 Standard Big dot 5 100 20 30 50 Standard Bid dot 6100 50 30 20 Standard Natural 7 70 50 35 15 Standard Big dot 8 70 50 3515 High Herring- bone 9 70 65 35 — Standard HB 10 70 65 35 — High HP 11100 65 35 — High BD 12 100 65 35 — Standard HB 13 100 50 50 — High HB 14100 50 50 — Standard BD 15 70 65 35 — Standard BD 16 70 65 35 — StandardHB 17 70 65 25 10 Standard BD 18 70 65 25 10 Standard HB

A needlepunch nonwoven configuration is also a preferred configurationfor the cleaning material. This configuration finds particularapplicability for surface preparation or scrubbing pads. The needlepunchnonwoven configuration is prepared by carding and needlepunching afibrous web comprising melamine fibers. Layers of fibers, comprising thesame or different fibers, can also be needlepunched to create thenonwoven cleaning material. The needling can be from one side or bothsides of the nonwoven.

In one example the following needlepunch samples were prepared byintimately blending, carding and needlepunching fibers, as indicated inthe Table below. The Table indicates the composition of the nonwovenwebs for each sample, Nos. 1-9.

Needlepunch Nonwoven Samples (Intimate Blend) Sam- Basis % % ple WeightMela- Ray- % & No. (GSM) mine on Polyester Bico Needling Structure 1 85050 35 15 Light Intimate blend 2 850 65 20 15 Light Intimate blend 3 85065 20 15 Standard Intimate blend 4 850 65 25 10 Standard Intimate blend5 850 65 25 10 Standard Intimate blend 6 850 65 15 (2.25 20 StandardIntimate denier) blend 7 850 65 20 (60 20 Standard Intimate denier)blend 8 490 65 35 Single Intimate (3 denier side blend x 3″) 9 490 65 35Both Intimate (3 denier sides blend x 3″)

Roll good manufacture of needlepunch nonwovens starts with fiber openingand carding. Intimate blends typically comprise 30-70% of staple lengthmelamine fiber as the active cleaning ingredient which is blended withother manmade and cellulosic fibers. Cellulosic fibers (like rayon,cotton, flax etc.) can be added at levels of 10-50% to increaseabsorbency. Polyester and polypropylene fibers from 3-200 denier can beadded for increased compression resistance, tensile strength,durability, thickness, cost reduction, and other reasons. In oneembodiment, melt colored polyester or polypropylene fibers can beblended at 10-50% to give the substrate color across the palette range.Basis weight ranges from 70-1200 grams/square meter (gsm) with apreferred weight of 300-900 gsm. Fabric thickness varies from 3-7 mm.Depending on the needling density and the end use application, thicknessand basis weight might increase or decrease beyond the ranges above. Forexample, a melamine fiber containing floor buffing pad might be 25 mmthick.

In another example, different layers of fibers were needlepunched tocreate cleaning materials. The compositions of the various layersneedlepunched are noted in the Table below. The structure, number oflayers and whether the needling was from one side only or from bothsides, is also indicated for each sample, Nos. 10-15.

Needlepunch Nonwoven Samples (Layered) Basis Sample weight Needling No.(GSM) Layer 1 Layer 2 Layer 3 Density Structure 10 215 100% — — 70Single melamine strokes layer 11 1100 200 gsm 700 gsm 200 gsm 70Tri-layer melamine 6 denier melamine strokes polyester 12 115 100% 95Single melamine strokes layer 13 930 115 gsm 700 gsm 115 gsm 95Tri-layer; melamine 6 denier melamine Strokes Single side polyesterneedled 14 880 115 gsm 700 gsm 115 gsm 95 Tri-layer; melamine 6 denierMelamine Strokes Both sides polyester needled 15 312 115 gsm 135 gsm 115gsm 95 Tri-layer; melamine 3 denier melamine Strokes Both sidespolyester needled

Generally, this layered configuration offers greater debris removal orcleaning efficacy since more melamine fiber is at the user interfacerather than buried inside the structure. Preferentially putting the moreexpensive melamine fiber at the surface has the second benefit ofreducing overall raw material cost of the fabric. Roll goods arecomprised of 2 or more layers consolidated by needlepunch in the forms:

A/B

A/B/A

Where, layer A has high fiber melamine content (50-100%) on the activeor outsides on the fabric. Basis weight of this layer is generally70-200 gsm.

Layer B does not contain melamine fiber and could be another cardedfiber nonwoven, scrim, film, foam, etc. This layer can be comprised oflow cost (recycled or inexpensive) fibers and/or functional fibers thatincrease: thickness, compression resistance, resilience, absorbency,abrasiveness, softness, durability, stretch, etc. Layer B might also berendered more antimicrobial through additives or treatment. Basis weightfor this layer might range from 100-700 gsm depending on the type ofmaterial used and end user requirements.

Overall thickness typically ranges from 3-7 mm. Total basis weight istypically 300-900 gsm. Thickness and weight could extend beyond theseranges depending on end user requirements.

In one example, cleaning materials were made by using a conventional wetlaying technique. The composition of each wetlaid sample, Nos. 1-3, areindicated in the Table below.

Wetlaid Samples Basis % % % Binder Sample weight Mela- wood (Poly vinylNo. (GSM) mine % Rayon pulp % Bico alchohol) 1 50 50 40 — — 10 4.5 den x¼″) 2 50 65 — — 35 — (2 den x ¼″) 3 50 50 40 10

Short cut melamine fiber ranging from 5-25 mm in length is dispersed inwater using dispersants and possibly viscosity modifiers. This shortcutmelamine fiber could then be blended with wood pulp, rayon (1.5-5denier×¼″), bicomponents and other shortcut fibers that reduce cost anddeliver functional benefits as described prior. The thoroughly mixedfurnish is then formed into a roll good in a typical wetlay nonwovenprocess. Basis weights typically range from 40-80 gsm. The resultingsheet or fabric has low tensile strength which might be desirable wherequick dissociation is needed for disposal. However, in mostapplications, greater strength is needed and can be gained by:

a) thermal bonding of sheets containing bicomponent fibers (2 denier×¼″)

b) adding polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) or other strength aids

The melamine fiber cleaning material of the present invention has manyadvantages as a cleaning material, either pad or wipe. The material canbe sold as a wet or dry wipe, resulting in great packaging flexibility.Chemical free cleaning is offered, as one only needs to add water. Also,the cleaning material itself can be free of surfactants, chemicalcleaners and binders. The triboelectric properties of the cleaningmaterial are exceptional, thereby allowing the wipe to pick up and holdsmall particles. As noted before, cost advantages are realized by usingthe present cleaning material. One can blend other fibers with themelamine fibers to tailor performance characteristics. The cleaningmaterial can also be effectively used as part of a laminate or compositestructure, if so desired.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one ofordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be thebest mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand andappreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents ofthe specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The inventionshould therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment,method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within thescope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A nonwoven surface preparation or cleaningmaterial comprising melamine fibers.
 2. The nonwoven material of claim1, comprising from 20-100 wt % melamine fibers.
 3. The nonwoven cleaningmaterial of claim 1, comprising from 30-70 wt % melamine fibers.
 4. Thenonwoven material of claim 1, further comprising rayon, Tencel®,bicomponent, polyesters, wood pulp, polyolefins, cotton, jute, bamboo ornylon fibers, or a mixture thereof.
 5. The nonwoven material of claim 1,prepared by carding melamine fibers with a carding machine having nomain roll cylinder, only at least two small cylinders, and thenhydroentangling the carded melamine fibers in order to prepare thenonwoven cleaning materials.
 6. The nonwoven material of claim 1,prepared by carding and then needling a web of fibers comprisingmelamine fibers.
 7. The nonwoven material of claim 1, prepared bywetlaying fibers comprised of melamine fibers.
 8. The nonwoven cleaningmaterial of claim 1, comprising melamine fibers and polyester fibers. 9.The nonwoven cleaning material of claim 1, comprising melamine fibers,viscose fibers and polyester fibers.
 10. The nonwoven cleaning materialof claim 1, the cleaning material having a basis weight in the range offrom about 20-1200 g/square meter.
 11. A method of preparing thenonwoven material of claim 1, which comprises the steps of: (i) cardingmelamine fibers with a carding machine having no main roll cylinder,only at least two small cylinders, and (ii) hydroentangling the cardedmelamine fibers in order to prepare the nonwoven cleaning materials. 12.The method of claim 11, wherein the carding machine used has at leastfour small cylinders.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the melaminefibers are mixed with rayon, Tencel®, bicomponent, polyester, wood pulp,polypropylene, cotton, jute, bamboo or nylon fibers.
 14. A method ofpreparing the nonwoven material of claim 1, comprising the steps ofcarding and then needling a web of fibers comprising melamine fibers.15. The method of claim 14, wherein the needling is on both sides of thenonwoven.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the web comprises from30-60 wt % rayon, Tencel®, bicomponent, polyester, wood pulp,polypropylene, cotton, jute, bamboo or nylon fibers.
 17. A method ofpreparing the nonwoven material of claim 1, wherein fibers, comprisingmelamine fibers, are wetlaid.
 18. A method of cleaning a surface whichcomprises wiping the surface with the nonwoven material of claim
 1. 19.The method of claim 18, wherein only water is used with the material.20. The method of claim 18, wherein a combination of chemical cleaners,surfactants, detergents or disinfectants is used with the material. 21.A method of polishing a surface, which comprises rubbing the surfacewith the nonwoven material of claim
 1. 22. A method of buffing a floor,which comprises buffing the floor with the nonwoven material of claim 1.23. The nonwoven material of claim 1, wherein the nonwoven material isfree of any surfactants, cleaning detergent or binder.
 24. The nonwovenmaterial of claim 1, wherein the nonwoven material comprises at leastone additive selected from the group consisting of chemical cleaners,surfactants, detergents, disinfectants, and mixtures thereof.